Alma is Back: Aeria Games Announces F.E.A.R. Online

F.E.A.R. is an FPS series that started out fairly menacing, but after spending several years in the perpetual sequel grinder it's a hardly recognizable pinkish glob. What was once a primarily single player shooter has now become the free-to-play multiplayer focused FPS, F.E.A.R. Online.

This actually isn't the first F2P F.E.A.R. FPS believe it or not. In 2006 the original F.E.A.R.'s multiplayer was re-branded as F.E.A.R. Combat and released for free. While the game wasn't what we would consider a modern day F2P shooter with a cash shop and silly hats, it still supports an active community today.

So what's this new F.E.A.R. all about? True to the F.E.A.R. name, the FPS focuses on a new chapter of the saga still furthering the story of the supernatural Alma Wade. Surprisingly, the game will also feature four player cooperative scenarios where players take on the role of the F.E.A.R. team parallel to the events of F.E.A.R. 2. Unsurprisingly, the FPS will mainly focus on team combat modes across ten maps, although modes like the unique Soul King mode -where you possess enemies for new abilities- certainly spice things up a bit

Several developers have had a hand in crafting some of the various F.E.A.R. titles over the years, with the main trilogy developed by Monolith Productions and Day 1 Studios. This time, F.E.A.R. Online is being developed by Korea based Inplay Interactive and published by Aeria Games. I actually winced a bit as I wrote that.

Players can start signing up for closed beta access by visiting the official teaser site here.